To define what European identity is, we have to answer two questions: what is "Europe", and what does it mean to be "European"? In other words, what are the defining characteristics of the place and the people?
The notion of "Europe" has existed since the ancient Greeks and has evolved, refering to different cultural, political, and geographical entities. Though its geographical frontiers are vague, Europe is usually described as the "continent" stretching from the Atlantic to the Ural mountains and river. There have been various attempts to impose European-wide political entities throughout history (Romans, Charlemagne, Napoleon, Hitler, Europe during the Cold War split into two by the Iron Curtain). Europe's cultural influence has always gone beyond its geopolitical frontiers.
Do the people of Europe have a shared notion of "being European" and what does it mean? Does it mean being a member of the EU? The European Union has undoubtedly created greater political unity and a sense of "belonging": 54% of people in Europe feel that membership of the EU is a "good thing" (Eurobarometer, 2005), though some member States are less positive than others about membership of the EU. Only 36% of British people are positive about EU membership (the UK's euroskepticism stems partly from its atlanticist policies and its protectionism as regards its financial institutions). The Czechs are also quite negative about the EU, considering it too bureaucratic and insufficiently liberal economically; The Irish are very positive because they have benefitted economically from EU membership. The Luxembourgers are the most enthousiastic members of the EU, prabably because they are founding members and being members of a supranational organization gives their small country greater importance than if they were not a member...
The feeling of "being European" is slowly emerging. This is especially true among younger people who have had the opportunity to travel and study abroad; for them, Europe is familiar and they share many cultural values and practices with their peers. More generally, European identity means an awareness of having a common history despite being from different countries and having shared values: democracy, the free market, defence of human rights, peaceful resolutions to conflicts, solidarity, social security, etc.
